Sliding shelf support



Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING SHELF SUPPORTJohn Edward Opgenorth, Nashotah, Vis.

Application March 17, 1939, Serial No. 262,468

'(Cl. .2H-143) Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in shelf braces.

The object of my invention is to provide a shelf brace which will permitshelves, such as refrigerator shelves, to be pulled out to the fullextentI of their depth and to be provided with a shelf brace which willhold the shelves in outright, horizontal position when fully withdrawnfrom the receptacle or refrigerator in which they are normallysupported.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shelf brace which maytake its position in alignment with the shelf for the bracing thereofwhen the shelf is slidably withdrawn from its normal position and whichwill fold automatically to permit the shelf to be returned completely toits normal position.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a refrigerator equipped with myshelves and shelf braces. f

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a perspective in detail of the brace structure shown inFigures 1 and 2.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

In refrigerator and other cabinets in which shelves are usually xedlysupported, it would be a matter of much convenience if the shelves couldbe slidably pulled out of the cabinet substantially their entire lengthand I have provided brace structure to make this possib-le.

I provide a special brace for a shelf 5G which may be made of wire orany suitable material having side rails 5l and 52. At the rear cornersof the shelf 50, I provide pivotal brace members 510 and 520 mountedupon pivot pins 53 spaced somewhat from the corners 54 of the shelf andextending rearwardly of the shelf to a terminal block or hook 55. Inthis construction, the shelf may be mounted upon a supporting cleat orupon rollers as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the shelf may be slidablymoved from its normal position as shown in the lower shelf 56 to theposition shown at 52 (Fig. 1). When the shelf is in the position shownat 56, the shelf brace is pivotally swung upwardly by reason of thecamming action of the hook 55 upon a roller 51 positioned near the backof the interior of the box I0. When the shelf is rolled or slidablypositioned as shown at 52 in Fig. 1, the brace 510 assumes the positionshown in Fig. 3 and I provide a brace plate 58 to hold the brace 5H] inalignment with the rail 5I and, to prevent the shelf from being removedentirely from the box, I provide a brace roller 59 to engage the hook 55and to thus, between roller 59 and the forward margin of the supportingroller 60 to hold the shelf in extended horizontal position.

I claim:

1. A shelf and shelf support for supporting the shelf for slidablemovement to and from extended position, the shelf support beingsubstantially co-extensive with the shelf, a brace roller above theshelf, and a brace hingedly connected with the shelf for limited arcuatemovement through an are' of 90 degrees upwardly from a position inalignment with the shelf, said brace being shaped to engage the Ibraceroller when the shelf is in extended position, and a cam adjacent theshelf support in position to hingedly move the brace in the movement ofthe shelf from extended position whereby to arcuately move the braceupward into retracted position as the shelf moves from extendedposition.

2. In a cabinet provided with supports on opposite sides thereof for thesupport of a slidable shelf adapted to move upon said supports to andfrom extended position, said supports being wholly within the cabinet, astop above the shelf and extending from the side wall of the cabinet, ahinged brace connected to the shelf adjacent the side thereof andprovided with an upwardly extended end portion to engage said stop, saidbrace being provided with means extending therefrom whereby to engage aportion of said shelf and hold the hinged brace rigidly extendedrearwardly from the shelf whereby to hold the shelf rigidly extended insupported position outside said cabinet and a cam adjacent the supportto contact said brace as the shelf is returned from its extendedposition and to hingedly move said brace and permit the shelf to move toits extreme position in the cabinet.

3. A shelf and shelf support, a shelf brace having a terminal block,said brace being hingedly connected with the shelf for hinged movementabout a pintle adjacent the rear margin of the shelf, said hingedmovement being limited by means interengaging said shelf and said braceto permit movement of the brace only in an upward direction, a braceroller adjacent the forward margin of the shelf support and positionedto engage the terminal block whereby in the forward movement of theshelf upon the shelf support said terminal block is engaged by saidbrace roller and held in shelf-supporting position.

4. A shelf and shelf support to provide for movement of the shelf, abrace roller spaced from the shelf support in position to overlie theno1'- mal path of movement of the shelf, a brace for the shelf in hingedrelation to the shelf and shaped with a hooked terminal to underlie andabut said brace roller when the shelf is substantially removed fromshelf support, said brace being hinged for movement in upward directioni only when the shelf is replaced upon the shelf support whereby therear end of the shelf may move to its extreme inward position with thebrace upwardly extended therefrom.

